Ruth Uy is a professional engineer with 20+ years of experience in the energy sector in the areas of business development, M&A, operations, risk, governance, compliance, and regulation. She is a long-standing board member in areas of social justice in the GTA and southern U.S. Her senior experience at oil and gas, wind, and natural gas distribution companies throughout North America has enabled her to handle emerging issues related to environment, safety and incidents. Ruth’s experience in highly regulated industries has allowed her to successfully implement improvements in service delivery through the development of policies, procedures, and public-facing technologies and raise awareness amongst energy consumers. She specializes in strategy, goal-centred innovation, compliance-driven decision-making, and inclusion engagement. Ruth served several terms for the Canadian Training Institute and is a board member of GlobalMedic and a member of industry advisors for companies in Alberta, California and North Carolina. 

Adam Harvey is an independent corporate director helping stakeholder-driven organizations make better decisions and improve organizational performance to better serve the public interest, based on over 25 years of experience in Finance and Corporate Governance – as an independent Board and Committee member, as an audit partner and business advisor, and as a Chief Financial Officer. Adam serves on Boards and Committees for the Canadian Medical Association, The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda, and The Ottawa Mission, among others. Previously, Adam served as Vice-President of Finance for the Ottawa Community Foundation, as an audit partner and trusted advisor with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”; formerly, Coopers & Lybrand), and as an auditor with the federal Office of the Auditor General. A graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Directors Education Program (ICD.D), Adam is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree in Accounting and Finance from Carleton University. 

Jay Jackson is a Board member and the Director of Policy and Strategy with the Consumers Council of Canada. He retired from a 36-year career as a senior policy analyst with the federal government’s Competition Bureau and the Office of Consumer Affairs. Jay is a member of consumer advisory councils for Ontario’s Home Construction Regulatory Authority and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority and is a consumer representative with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. Jay has served as an expert on several national and international technical standards committees and is currently Vice-Chair of the Standards Council of Canada’s Mirror Committee to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Consumer Policy Committee. 

David Oikle is a resident of Ottawa, where he has been a Broker with Royal LePage for 20 years. David is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA – 1987). Before joining Royal LePage, David worked in the industry for almost 20 years in various financial management and leadership roles. In March 2023, David completed the Institute of Corporate Directors course through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and obtained his ICD.D designation. David has extensive board experience, including chairing the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind from 1998 to 2003. David is the Past President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (2015) and Director from 2008 to 2016, and the Past President of the Ontario Real Estate Association (2021) and Director from 2017 to 2023. David is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Real Estate Association, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. 

Shari Prymak holds Bachelor’s degrees (B.Sc. and B.Ed.) from the University of Toronto and York University, respectively. He has published over one hundred articles on many aspects of the automobile industry. Shari’s work has appeared on automobile websites and in consumer-oriented newsletters. As well as working in print and the internet, he has hosted and been interviewed on programs on both television and radio. Major newspapers, such as The Globe and Mail, have sought Shari’s expertise in the auto industry. As a Car Help Canada team member, Shari’s experience as an automobile expert has also helped countless consumers with many aspects of automobile ownership. 

For over 30 years, John Raymond has held senior management and/or owner operator positions within a diverse group of industries. These have included automotive retail, wholesale automotive parts distribution, business aviation, commercial real estate and online game development. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Associate degrees in Automotive Marketing and Automotive Marketing with a Truck Marketing concentration from Northwood University, Midland, Michigan. For 14 years, John owned and operated a major multi-brand dealership during a period of profound industry change and growth. Today, John is an Associate for a professional service firm specializing in Automotive Retail M&A and is a Trustee of the (OMVIC) Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund (MVDCF). John is passionate about protecting consumers. He has spent more time assisting consumers with automotive-related issues through counselling, representing, researching, teaching, and through the automotive protection-focused national TV program he produced than the time he spent in automotive retail. Throughout John’s life, he has chosen to serve as a Director on several non-profit boards. His interest has always been to serve his community. 

A lifelong resident of Ontario, John Tod served a distinguished 32-year career with the Ontario Provincial Police with executive experience including Forensics, Director of the Provincial Police Academy, A/Bureau

Commander of Business and Financial Services, Regional Commander of Central Region, Bureau Commander of Field Support Bureau and Bureau Commander of Investigations and Support Bureau until his retirement in 2018 at the level of Chief Superintendent. As the Bureau Commander of Investigations and Support, his responsibilities included oversight and accountability for Multi-Jurisdictional Major Case Investigations, Anti Rackets, Ontario’s Serious Fraud Office, Electronic/Physical Surveillance, Forensics, Behaviour Sciences, Cyber Crimes, Human Trafficking, Child Exploitation and Missing Persons / Found Human Remains sections.

John is a former National Director of Investigative Services at the Insurance Bureau of Canada and proudly the VP of Operations for Eastern Canada with VIN Verification Services Inc. He is currently the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the OPPA Credit Union, a Regional Director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (NE Chapter), a graduate of the Canadian Police Executive Development Program and has received an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution through the University of Windsor Faculty of Law,

John has received the Order of Merit of Police from the Governor General of Canada, the Queens Diamond Jubilee, the Ontario Ovation Award (OPP Mental Health Strategy), and the OPP Accolade Award (Humanitarian Work in Africa). John has developed and maintained strong relationships with law enforcement as well as relevant private and public sector stakeholders throughout the Province, Nationally and Internationally.

With more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience, Faaiza Ali is a senior healthcare executive and mechanical engineer with expertise spanning hospital redevelopment, capital planning, infrastructure operations, and organizational transformation. Throughout her career, Faaiza has advised Boards, executive teams, government partners, and community stakeholders while leading complex multi-site portfolios and major capital programs. She is known for building strong cross-functional teams and advancing patient safety and value-based healthcare within financially constrained public-sector environments.

Rob Leggat is an accomplished automotive professional, serving as the Managing Partner of Team Honda Powerhouse of Milton and the Managing Partner/GM of Leggat Discovery Ford. Since he took over the Honda dealership in 2010, they have won the Honda President’s Challenge six times. Rob’s career in the automotive sales industry began in September 2003 when he joined Leggat/Mountain Saturn Saab. Rob transitioned to sales management in 2005 and worked there until 2008. In May 2008, he joined and assisted in opening Team Honda as an open point and has also been at Ford since 2021. Rob completed his studies at Georgian College and the University of Western Ontario and joined the OMVIC Board of Directors in 2020 for a three-year term. Rob is currently an Ontario Honda Dealers Association member, providing input and feedback on Honda advertising strategies. He also works actively with Honda Canada, fellow Honda dealers and advertising channels to best promote the Honda brand. Rob is a fourth-generation car dealer and has been in the industry full-time since 2003.

Luciano Butera is the CEO of Northern Roads Auto Group. As a seasoned automotive executive with over 30 years of comprehensive management experience, Luciano excels in leadership roles spanning automotive finance, technology, and inventory solutions. As a lawyer, and a member of the Ontario Bar for over 22 years, Luciano is recognized as a pragmatic leader with a proven track record in goal achievement through team building, corporately aligned customer-focused solutions, strategic planning, and project management. Luciano’s expertise extends well beyond the norm, extending to joint ventures, partnerships, M&A, due diligence, contract review, and negotiations. Luciano founded Northern Roads Auto Group in response to the automotive industry’s need for consolidation in secondary and tertiary markets.  As CEO, he oversees the Group’s strategic growth plan, acquisition opportunities, financing, regulatory compliance, and integration of centralized corporate functions. Notably, prior to founding Northern Roads Auto Group, Luciano held the role of Group General Counsel and Head of Risk for Canada and Brazil for Cox Automotive, a global automotive services company with over 65,000 employees spanning dozens of brands. In his five years as a transformative international leader at Cox Automotive, he was instrumental in managing NextGear Capital’s half a billion-dollar floorplan portfolio, providing inventory financing solutions to Canadian and US Dealers, and was the lead architect in designing Cox Automotive’s cross-border business initiatives including integrating and enhancing Cox Automotive’s suite of products in the global automotive industry. The protection and longevity of the automotive market, particularly in fostering fair dealer-consumer relations, are paramount to Luciano.

Emilio Gonzalez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s in Economics and Finance. With over a decade dedicated to the intricacies of public finance, he specialized in creating regulations, budget development, and project management. In 2023, Emilio transitioned to the automotive industry. As a Sales Consultant at Old Mill Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC Ltd, he utilizes his legal and financial expertise to guide clients in selecting the perfect vehicle and tailoring payment solutions. Emilio actively contributes to the automotive sector and draws from his extensive background to champion ethical practices, legal compliance, and customer-centric approaches. 

Ted Lancaster began his career as a sales consultant on the showroom floor in the Niagara Region, working his way up to the business office and on to dealership management. He transitioned to the OEM side of the business, starting first as a trainer for the business office, then on to District Sales Manager and held several positions throughout his career, including several executive positions with various manufacturers. Ted sat on the Global Automakers of Canada Board of Directors before leaving the OEM side of the business and starting his auto consulting operation in Canada and the United States. During that time, he was given an opportunity to join the 401 Group of Companies as the Executive Vice President, which he considered an excellent chance to join an organization that was growing and developing its already successful operations. Ted focuses on business development at the 401 Group of Companies, ensuring the company is expanding in the right markets, developing its business operations, and mentoring the executive team. The 401 Group of Companies has grown significantly in the past few years with 16 automotive dealerships, 14 CampMart locations, three Powersports operations, a restaurant, and soon-to-be expansion into hotels with the Marriott brand. Ted strongly focuses on employee and customer engagement, has sat on several boards and committees over his years in automotive, and cares very much about the industry’s perception in the public eye. 

Frank Notte is the Director of Government Relations for the Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO), representing Ontario’s 1,100 franchised, new car and truck retailers. His responsibilities include driving legislative and regulatory reform with decision-makers at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill, collaborating with auto sector stakeholders, conducting advocacy campaigns and executing strategic communications, which include being a media spokesperson. One of his proudest legislative achievements is Ontario’s implementation of the Digital Dealership Registration program that brings the vehicle sales process into the 21st century. Vehicle retailers can now register vehicles online, and issue licence plates and vehicle permits instantly from the dealership. Frank joined the MVRO after working as an Executive Assistant to an MPP at Queen’s Park. He was responsible for preparing the MPP for the Question Period, legislative debates and committee duties, legislative research, policy development, producing communications material, media relations and event management. Frank graduated from Brock University with an Honours Degree in Political Science. He also completed the OMVIC Automotive Certification Course offered by the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College. Having grown up in his family’s auto body repair and towing business, championing the auto sector is a life-long passion for Frank. 

Dan Park is the CEO of Clutch, Canada’s largest online automotive retailer. Clutch’s fully vertically integrated platform offers high-quality pre-owned vehicles through its website, redefining the car-buying experience in Canada. Every Clutch car undergoes a rigorous inspection and reconditioning to meet the highest quality standards. The company is deeply rooted in technology, delivering a seamless online shopping experience. Clutch’s mission is to provide consumers with the simplest, most transparent, and easiest way to buy and sell cars in Canada. Before Clutch, Dan was the General Manager and Head of Uber Eats Canada, where he led the platform’s rapid expansion, scaling it into a billion-dollar business. Overseeing a team of 150+ across operations, strategy, sales, marketing, and customer success, he spearheaded Uber Eats’ entry into 80+ markets nationwide. He also secured major enterprise partnerships with McDonald’s, A&W, Recipe Group, Popeyes, and Starbucks, solidifying Uber Eats’ leadership position in the market. Previously, Dan was a Venture Partner at Azure Capital Partners, leading the firm’s Canadian investment strategy. He served on the boards of Kissmetrics and FanXchange and was a Board Observer for Ranovus and The Bouqs. Earlier in his career, he specialized in Mergers & Acquisitions at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York, focusing on technology, media, and telecommunications, and at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto. Dan holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Commerce in Honors Economics & Finance (First Class Honors) from McGill University. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.

Zsolt Racz has dedicated 18 years to the automotive industry. A graduate of Fanshawe College, he began his career as a mechanic, cultivating a deep understanding of vehicle intricacies that still guides his work today. Originally from Hungary, Zsolt and his family immigrated to Canada when he was just ten years old, an experience that instilled resilience and adaptability, which undoubtedly contributed to his success in the Canadian automotive landscape. Throughout his career, Zsolt has carved out a niche specializing in financing and implementing efficient systems. His innovative approach has contributed to streamlining processes and enhancing overall organizational efficiency within a dealership. As Zsolt continues to evolve within the industry, his entrepreneurial journey reflects a testament to transparency, growth and a commitment to excellence. Beyond his professional pursuits, Zsolt is a devoted family man, married to his high school sweetheart. As a father, he cherishes his role in shaping the lives of their 9-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son. 

Since 2020, Ilan Mints has served as General Counsel and a member of the executive team at Downtown AutoGroup (DAG), providing legal, compliance, and regulatory oversight across 10 dealerships representing 13 automotive brands. Working directly with executive leadership, general managers, and operational teams, he advises on advertising, disclosures, contracts, financing practices, consumer complaints, registration matters, and regulatory interactions with OMVIC.

With over 24 years of experience in the automotive dealership industry, Joanne Yulo is currently a Senior Finance Manager with the Bramgate Automotive Group at Audi Brampton. Joanne’s career has focused on operational excellence, compliance, and innovation within Automotive Sales. Joanne has also completed advanced training in fraud prevention and risk mitigation through programs such as Fraud Finder/Paladin, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Preventative Measures, and VW Credit.